On the Value of Remembering Our Sins (according to John Chrysostom)

Anyone who is truly repentant should never forget their own sins. While it is good & proper for repentant souls to beg God not to remember their sins, it is beneficial for us to always remember them—for as long as we are in this life. For if we humble ourselves now by purposely & regularly calling our sins to mind, then God will purposely forget our sins on Judgment Day. Therefore, let us not be squeamish about exacting punishment from ourselves by remembering our sins. Let us accuse ourselves, and in this way, we shall propitiate the Judge. For sin that is confessed becomes less, but sin that is not confessed becomes worse. For if a person adds shamelessness & ingratitude to their pile of past sins, then how will such a person—who has purposely forgotten that they used to indulge in sin—be at all able to guard themselves from falling back again into the same sort of evils? Continue reading The Value of Remembering Our Sins →